# List of NFL longest losing streaks

This article contains two lists:
* The longest losing streaks in the regular season in NFL history
* The longest losing streaks in the postseason in NFL history
The Chicago Cardinals have the longest regular season losing streak, losing 29 consecutive games from 1942 through 1945. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the longest losing streak since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, losing the first 26 games in franchise history in 1976 and 1977. The Detroit Lions hold the record for the longest postseason losing streak, dropping nine consecutive playoff games between 1991 and 2016.

## Key

| ^ | ^ | Denotes streaks that occurred before the AFL–NFL merger (1970 season) |
| | | Denotes streaks that are currently in progress |

## Streaks
### Regular season

| Rank | Games | Team | Season(s) | Season record(s) | Date | Score | Opponent | Date | Score | Opponent |
| Rank | Games | Team | Season(s) | Season record(s) | Beginning (first defeat) | Beginning (first defeat) | Beginning (first defeat) | End (first victory or tie) | End (first victory or tie) | End (first victory or tie) |
| 1 | 29 (6+10+10+3) | Chicago Cardinals^ | 1942 1943 1944 1945 | 3–8 0–10 0–10 1–9 | October 25, 1942 | 3–7 | Cleveland Rams | October 14, 1945 | 16–7 | Chicago Bears |
| 2 | 26 (14+12) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1976 1977 | 0–14 2–12 | September 12, 1976 | 0–20 | Houston Oilers | December 11, 1977 | 33–14 | New Orleans Saints |
| 3 | 20 (15+5) | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2020 2021 | 1–15 3–14 | September 20, 2020 | 30–33 | Tennessee Titans | October 17, 2021 | 23–20 | Miami Dolphins |
| 4 (tie) | 19 (6+13) | Oakland Raiders^ | 1961 1962 | 2–12 1–13 | November 11, 1961 | 12–23 | New York Titans | December 16, 1962 | 20–0 | Boston Patriots |
| 4 (tie) | 19 (1+16+2) | Detroit Lions | 2007 2008 2009 | 7–9 0–16 2–14 | December 30, 2007 | 13–34 | Green Bay Packers | September 27, 2009 | 19–14 | Washington Redskins |
| 6 | 18 (11+7) | Houston Oilers | 1972 1973 | 1–13 1–13 | October 9, 1972 | 0–34 | Oakland Raiders | November 4, 1973 | 31–27 | Baltimore Colts |
| 7 (tie) | 17 (4+7+6) | Dayton Triangles^ | 1927 1928 1929 | 1–6–1 0–7 0–6 | October 9, 1927 | 0–7 | Chicago Cardinals | team folded after 1929 season | team folded after 1929 season | team folded after 1929 season |
| 7 (tie) | 17 (8+9) | Washington Redskins^ | 1960 1961 | 1–9–2 1–12–1 | October 30, 1960 | 10–31 | Cleveland Browns | November 19, 1961 | 28–28 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 7 (tie) | 17 (7+10) | Houston Oilers | 1982 1983 | 1–8 2–14 | November 21, 1982 | 10–24 | Pittsburgh Steelers | November 13, 1983 | 27–17 | Detroit Lions |
| 7 (tie) | 17 (10+7) | St. Louis Rams | 2008 2009 | 2–14 1–15 | October 26, 2008 | 16–23 | New England Patriots | November 1, 2009 | 17–10 | Detroit Lions |
| 7 (tie) | 17 (3+14) | Cleveland Browns | 2015 2016 | 3–13 1–15 | December 20, 2015 | 13–30 | Seattle Seahawks | December 24, 2016 | 20–17 | San Diego Chargers |
| 7 (tie) | 17 (1+16) | Cleveland Browns | 2016 2017 | 1–15 0–16 | January 1, 2017 | 24–27 | Pittsburgh Steelers | September 9, 2018 | 21–21 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 13 (tie) | 16 (4+4+7+1) | Rochester Jeffersons^ | 1922 1923 1924 1925 | 0–4–1 0–4 0–7 0–6–1 | October 15, 1922 | 0–7 | Chicago Bears | October 4, 1925 | 0–0 | Buffalo Bisons |
| 13 (tie) | 16 (13+3) | Pittsburgh Steelers^ | 1969 1970 | 1–13 5–9 | September 28, 1969 | 27–41 | Philadelphia Eagles | October 11, 1970 | 23–10 | Buffalo Bills |
| 13 (tie) | 16 (3+13) | Miami Dolphins | 2006 2007 | 6–10 1–15 | December 17, 2006 | 0–21 | Buffalo Bills | December 16, 2007 | 22–16 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 13 (tie) | 16 (6+10) | Oakland Raiders | 2013 2014 | 4–12 3–13 | November 24, 2013 | 19–23 | Houston Texans | November 20, 2014 | 24–20 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 17 (tie) | 15 (10+5) | Buffalo Bills | 1970 1971 | 3–10–1 1–13 | November 22, 1970 | 13–31 | Chicago Bears | November 28, 1971 | 27–20 | New England Patriots |
| 17 (tie) | 15 | Carolina Panthers | 2001 | 1–15 | September 23, 2001 | 16–24 | Atlanta Falcons | September 8, 2002 | 10–7 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 19 (tie) | 14 (11+3) | Philadelphia Eagles^ | 1936 1937 | 1–11 2–8–1 | September 20, 1936 | 3–26 | Boston Redskins | September 26, 1937 | 6–6 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 19 (tie) | 14 (1+10+3) | Pittsburgh Steelers^ | 1943 1944 1945 | 5–4–1 0–10 2–8 | December 5, 1943 | 28–38 | Green Bay Packers | October 21, 1945 | 21–7 | New York Giants |
| 19 (tie) | 14 (10+4) | Buffalo Bills | 1976 1977 | 2–12 3–11 | October 10, 1976 | 14–17 | New York Jets | October 16, 1977 | 3–0 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 19 (tie) | 14 | New Orleans Saints | 1980 | 1–15 | September 7, 1980 | 23–26 | San Francisco 49ers | December 14, 1980 | 21–20 | New York Jets |
| 19 (tie) | 14 | Baltimore Colts | 1981 | 2–14 | September 13, 1981 | 3–35 | Buffalo Bills | December 20, 1981 | 23–21 | New England Patriots |
| 19 (tie) | 14 | New England Patriots | 1990 | 1–15 | September 23, 1990 | 7–41 | Cincinnati Bengals | September 1, 1991 | 16–7 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 19 (tie) | 14 | Houston Texans | 2013 | 2–14 | September 22, 2013 | 9–30 | Baltimore Ravens | September 7, 2014 | 17–6 | Washington Redskins |
| 19 (tie) | 14 (10+4) | Chicago Bears | 2022 2023 | 3–14 7–10 | October 30, 2022 | 29–49 | Dallas Cowboys | October 5, 2023 | 40–20 | Washington Commanders |
* 1 2 In 1944, the Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers combined rosters and competed as Card-Pitt due to the loss of players to World War II military service.
* 1 2 3 4 Losing streak carried into next season, but team won or tied their first game.
* ↑ Record against NFL opponents.
* ↑ In 1943, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles combined rosters and competed as the Steagles due to the loss of players to World War II military service.

### Playoffs

| Rank | Games | Team | Seasons | Date | Score | Opponent | Date | Score | Opponent |
| Rank | Games | Team | Seasons | Beginning (first defeat) | Beginning (first defeat) | Beginning (first defeat) | End (first victory) | End (first victory) | End (first victory) |
| 1 | 9 | Detroit Lions | 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2016 | January 12, 1992 | 10–41 | Washington Redskins | January 14, 2024 | 24–23 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 2 (tie) | 8 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1990, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 | January 13, 1991 | 10–20 | Los Angeles Raiders | January 15, 2022 | 26–19 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 2 (tie) | 8 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2013 | January 23, 1994 | 13–30 | Buffalo Bills | January 9, 2016 | 30–0 | Houston Texans |
| 4 (tie) | 6 | New York Giants^ | 1939, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1950 | December 10, 1939 | 0–27 | Green Bay Packers | December 30, 1956 | 47–7 | Chicago Bears |
| 4 (tie) | 6 | Cleveland Browns | 1969, 1971, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985 | January 4, 1970 | 7–27 | Minnesota Vikings | January 3, 1987 | 23–20 | New York Jets |
| 4 (tie) | 6 | Seattle Seahawks | 1984, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2003, 2004 | December 29, 1984 | 10–31 | Miami Dolphins | January 14, 2006 | 20–10 | Washington Redskins |
| 4 (tie) | 6 | Minnesota Vikings | 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 | January 1, 1989 | 9–34 | San Francisco 49ers | December 27, 1997 | 23–22 | New York Giants |
| 4 (tie) | 6 | Buffalo Bills | 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2017, 2019 | January 6, 1996 | 21–40 | Pittsburgh Steelers | January 9, 2021 | 27–24 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 4 (tie) | 6 | Dallas Cowboys | 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2007 | January 5, 1997 | 17–26 | Carolina Panthers | January 9, 2010 | 34–14 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 4 (tie) | 6 | Miami Dolphins | 2000, 2001, 2008, 2016, 2022, 2023 | January 6, 2001 | 0–27 | Oakland Raiders | | | |
| 4 (tie) | 6 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 | January 22, 2017 | 17–36 | New England Patriots | | | |
| 12 (tie) | 5 | Los Angeles Rams^ | 1952, 1955, 1967, 1969, 1973 | December 21, 1952 | 21–31 | Detroit Lions | December 22, 1974 | 19–10 | Washington Redskins |
| 12 (tie) | 5 | New York Giants^ | 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963 | December 28, 1958 | 17–23 | Baltimore Colts | December 27, 1981 | 27–21 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 12 (tie) | 5 | Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts | 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1987 | January 2, 1972 | 0–21 | Miami Dolphins | December 31, 1995 | 35–20 | San Diego Chargers |
| 12 (tie) | 5 | Denver Broncos | 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984 | January 15, 1978 | 10–27 | Dallas Cowboys | January 4, 1987 | 22–17 | New England Patriots |
| 12 (tie) | 5 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990 | January 25, 1981 | 10–27 | Oakland Raiders | January 3, 1993 | 36–20 | New Orleans Saints |
| 12 (tie) | 5 | Indianapolis Colts | 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002 | January 14, 1996 | 16–20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | January 4, 2004 | 41–10 | Denver Broncos |
| 12 (tie) | 5 | Washington Redskins/Football Team/Commanders | 2005, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2020 | January 14, 2006 | 10–20 | Seattle Seahawks | January 12, 2025 | 23–20 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |